If you take into account that Nike left skid marks past their competition in the shoe and athletic apparel industries when they signed two megastar minorities — first with Michael Jordan in 1984 and extended it further in the ’90s with golf savant Tiger Woods — it was way past due for the shoe goliath to enlist a female to help design for the iconic brand.
Nike has collaborated with video director and fashion designer Vashtie Kola to put a feminine imprint on Michael Jordan’s signature shoe, by far the best-selling brand Nike has ever produced. Kola is known for her work on Justin Bieber’s “One Time” video as well as catering to other stars like Yung LA, Jadakiss, Armand Van Helden, Solange and others.
Called the limited edition Ladies’ Air Jordan 2 Retro, the sneaker is a slick infusion of tomboy style with a da
sh of femininity. It went on sale on Oct. 2.
“The shoe was inspired by my line …,” Kola told BlackVoices. “I wanted them to be feminine and chic, but masculine and true to the original form. Balance has always been a key theme used in my designs and daily life, so I wanted to balance masculinity and femininity with this sneaker.”
Kola told reporters that her shoe designs feature a lavender and deep purple colorway, along with silver accents around the laces. “It’s the 25th anniversary of the Jordan 2 and traditionally you give someone silver when celebrating 25 years. I incorporated metallic accents that frame the shoe to honor that,” said Kola.
The Air Jordan 2 is the latest collaboration the New York-based artist has executed with Nike. “I worked for Nike in the past at their 255 STUDIO location in Manhattan as well as [for] a few Nike campaigns.” Kola said. “My presence within the Nike family inevitably crossed over into the Jordan family.”
Kola says she has always felt comfortable expressing her creativity within the bastions of testosterone that is athletic and entertainment industries.
“I’m pretty used to being … the female minority in boys’ circles,” said Kola. “For the most part, I’m used to knowing how to hold my own and can do it pretty easily, especially if the men I’m working with are open to working on an equal plane with a female. And most times they are.”
Given young minorities’ ubiquitous presence and influence on fashion, particularly by hip-hop heads, it would behoove Nike and other shoemakers to harvest the innate creative genius of this all-important demographic. –terry shropshire
